Heart Failure Support Group

Heart failure is a condition that can result from any structural or functional cardiac disorder that impairs the ability of the heart to fill with or pump a sufficient amount of blood throughout the body. It is often undiagnosed due to a lack of a universally agreed definition and difficulties in diagnosis, particularly when the condition is considered "mild."

Heart Failure

Hi everyone, i have had heart failure since late October 2008. I am a 49 year old married man with 3 children. The meds seem to work for now. I do get depressed a lot knowing that my life has been cut too short. I could use all the support that i can get. I would like to discuss with others that have this contion.

Hello,
I'm 44 with cardiomyopathy and CHF. I was diagnosed 10/2008 too but was sick several months before they found it was my heart. I like to think that my life has to slow down and be healthy now instead of being shortened. Many people live long lives with heart disease. The medications and devices they have now can keep us going a long time.
I hope you feel better soon.
papeach

Thanks for the reply. It seems that when you are sick you think that you are the only one out there with this problem, but as i learned during my hip replacements 2003-2004 there are a lot of people dealing with the same issues.
Just nice to here from others in the same boat. I have lots of good and not so good storied to tell if anyone is interested. Thanks again.

Hi,
Welcome to DS. I was diagnosed in 8/2005 at the age of 48. I am now 51 and certainly can let you know about some of the ups and downs, changes in lifestyle, job, affects on family, and on and on. It did feel like, at first, that I had been singled out to have this disease, but obviously that is not the case. It helps to share and get support. Let us continue to hear from you and be sure to enter in on and start any discussions.
Take care,
Shelly

I was diagnosed with CHF (diastolic dysfunction) in August of last year. I am 52. And I refuse to let this cut short my life. Started on a lot of meds. Did everything the doctor told me to do. I have since lost 44 pounds, have been taken off the lasix and now have the energy to walk through all of Walmart. Seven months ago, I could not get from my car to the front door without needing to rest. I was depressed in the beginning and thought it was a death sentence. I have steadily improved and my doctors are thrilled. I also have renal insufficiency and was told I could not reverse the decreased kidney function...just stop the progress. As of Friday I am at full functioning kidneys again. I have found that the right doctor has been very helpful. They are optimistic and that is great. I also have a 4 year old granddaughter and I decided I am NOT going anywhere. In my case it was a wake-up call. I lived on fast food and Pepsi. I now eat healthy. Have not had a drop of caffeine since August 3rd and eat fast food only one day a week. I saw a dietician and I did everything I was told to do. It is a life changing experience.

Hi,
I'm 55 and diagonsed with CHF in August of 2007, it is a debilitating disease, but, as I think everyone here believes like I do, that if we take the meds and eat right there is no reason we can't live to enjoy our great grandkids. There are days that I'm sure all of us have that are worse than others, days that we get depressed or more tired than usual, so hang in there and try to have a positive attitude, and when you need reassuring just hop on here.

I was diagnosed at 45 and am now 57. No one with CHF knows how long they will live. I wish I could tell you that the despair will vanish, but it won't. The first 2 years I had it, I was sure I was going to die. It just took time to shake it from being my obsesson. Luckily children not only help you have to think about something else but also give you a reason to take the best care of yourself. The meds are much better now but they do not help your mental state. Some people do get better, maybe you will be one of them. Let yourself feel whatever your feelings tell you to. Get a good doctor and follow the orders, question them when you need to. That's my best advice. Take care. Jill

Wow, this is just what i have prayed for,people who do understand this bear. I have been really feeling good for the past 2 weeks. I had a couple of days that were not so good, just tired, now i have picked up some cold like kootie, and to top that off one of our co-workers has been diagonosed with TB. Had to take a TB test injection today. Anyway thanks everyone for the feedback, it really means alot to me. I hope that i can help someone. Please do not hesitate to e-mail me about anything. I am the Quality Manager and IT Manager at a local machince shop in Greensboro NC. I would love to help anyone with there computer problems. This keeps me busy and my mind off of heart failure. God Bless each and every one of you.

Hang in there eshu. I suppose that each of us initially KNOW that we are going to die any moment and then become ecstatic that we are alive at all. Once things start to settle down a bit we ealize that we were given a wake-up call that many do not receive.
With the current state of medicines and cardiac devices we stand a very good chanced of seeing our grandchildren marry. We just have to remember to take things a little bit differently and a little bit better than the day before.

Hi, i'm 35 and was diagnoseed with heart failure a year ago just before the birth of my second child. I don't know much about it and I sometimes feel depressed and lonely because of this. I am on 2mg perindopril at the moment and get breathless just going up the stairs. just looking for support and friendship, others with heart failure. My heart goes out tou u all.

HI there Eshu. Welcome to our group. There are some wonderful people here. WE all try to support each other in anyway we can. We share a commonality and through it we have found support and empathy here on DS in the Heart Failure Group. (or at least I have) So once again, welcome. Big Hugs! JoAnn

I am a 52 year old female teacher with heart failure. In October 2010 I went to the ER with numbness in my mouth and arm. The next day they did emergencydouble by-pass surgery. About 2 weeks after the by-pass I again went to the ER with symptoms and a cath prompted the doctor to put in a stint where occlusion had begun. About 2 weeks after that all grafts suddenly occluded resulting in a massive heart attack and subsequent heart failure. At first, the prognosis was very poor. The damaged area covered much of my heart and the doctors felt that restoring blood flow would be futile, since blood would be restored to dead heart tissue. It has been a little over a year and I am SO much better! Some of the noted damaged heart area was actually stunned cells. My EF is now about 45 and I have been upgraded to stage 2 heart failure. I have hope and know that God is guiding me. Not too many people beat the &quot;Widow maker&quot;. I hope to learn alot through these discussions and hopefully to inspire others to know that it is not a death sentence!!!

Hi am a 56 year old female I was diagnosed with chf 3 years ago. I am not getting worse . I am getting better. Every Echo I have shows improvement. My&quot;former&quot; cardiologist told me.&quot;That's it youre done you are not getting better. &quot; for 2 days I believed her and started dying. Then My fighting spirit kicked in. Since the I have fought back and am now well. My ef is normal and it isn't from a beta blocker. Don't let them tell you are dying. refuse to just give up and die. I hope to infect as many people as possible with hope. don't quit. fight it.

Your positive, survival-like attitude is inspiring. To add to your comments, CHF is a condition not a disease. I happens over long periods of time and enlists many systems in our bodies. Lungs, heart, kidney spleen, liver are just the obvious ones. So we usually carry on through life with this &quot;Condition&quot; worsening until it affects our lifestyles and we call out to our medicine-men for help.

They issue medications to ease the symptoms but none that can cure the &quot;Condition&quot;. Pulmonary Hypertension could be and usually is involved as is CAD and edema issues. So to echo your comments about beating this thing.

When we experience heart failure as a result of an MI, it is very acurate to say that we cannot recover the dead myocardial cells. It just isn't medically and normally physically possible. But stunned cells? Hmm. Yes. This would be indicative of catching a Heart Attack just in time before Myocardial Infaction ocurrs.

Damaged, enlarged and ischemic hearts cannot be mended. However, lifestyle changes and compensatory tactics can alter the way we live with it. IMMALIVE's attitude is key here. From a &quot;Death Sentence&quot; to feeling much better. The fact that her EF% has increased without the help of a beta blocker doesn't strike quite right to me though. Depending on the damage, and our hearts are amazing compensatorey organs. We can't repair them but medicines can make them more efficient. The beta blocker will improve EF% considerably without actually be indicative of our hearts mending. It is the medications that are slowing our heart rythyms to allow for a more efficient pumping cycle. I am going to assume she is talking about the EF% going higher as her dosages of beta blockers is being reduced. This would indicate a measured improvement in basic heart function. But; the conditions have probably changed in how we are processing our blood supplies. Lifestyle changes and psychological issues have been altered to allow our hearts to become more efficient without them actually regenerating themselves.

This is why it is called a condition and not a disease. We can compensate, but cure? No. Chelation, stoping smoking, dietary issues etc. can alter the conditions to make it seem like our hearts have actually improved but factually they are as damaged as before. LVAD's etc can actually make it seem like the events are moot. They actually mimic what our hearts used to do for us. But they are cost prohibitive and qualifying for them is difficult and usually reserved for the near dead or wealthy.

So IMMALIVE is right on with the Attitude thing. It is a matter of our concious perspective of our life and how we will proceed from here. If we feel better then Damnit we feel better. Why look for a reason. Maybe just ride the wave and enjoy life. But acceptance is key in order to get where she is at, and I think she demonstrates that by her never say die attitude.

Sorta like the old adage, &quot;Life on Life's Terms&quot;. IMMALIVE I enjoyed your response as you probably can tell.

I miss traveling with my husband. Has anyone found a specific site regarding cruising for widow/widowers or any sightseeing trips. Not interested in being with couples and kids,,,I realize a cruise ship will have a portion size of families and couples, but perhaps they also put together a part of the cruise ship for groups of widows/widowers????

A friend sent this to me..As far as I can see, grief will never truly end.It may become softer overtime, more gentleand some days will feel sharp.But grief will last as long as Love does - ForeverIt's simply the way the absence of your loved onemanifests in your heart. A deep longing accompaniedby the deepest Love some days. The heavy fog mayreturn and the next day, it may recede.Once again, it's...

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